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First published January 4, 2011
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April 11, 2012
This book knocked my socks off. Full of fascinating, behind the scenes info on the "I Have a Dream" speech,
Behind the Dream
is a book that should be read by everyone.
While I've of course read and heard the speech many times in my 32 years, I'd never stopped to consider how the speech was written - or by whom. This book answers those questions and many others I never would have thought to ask. There were so many different fractions of the Civil Rights Movement, and each of them wanted something else from Dr. King - and from this particular speech. It was fascinating to learn about the behind-the-scenes politics, and specifically about the author's last minute, split-second decision to copyright the speech. This was basically unheard of at the time, and it led to massive revenue for an exceptional cause.
The final chapter was very topical and covered issues like Occupy Wall Street and the election of our first black president. The ideas presented were extremely insightful, and the opinions were very well argued. I can't say I agree 100% with the author on everything he had to say, but he certainly wrote a thought-provoking book that presented an insider's view on an important event in American history.
p.s. Thanks to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and the publisher for my complementary review copy.
While I've of course read and heard the speech many times in my 32 years, I'd never stopped to consider how the speech was written - or by whom. This book answers those questions and many others I never would have thought to ask. There were so many different fractions of the Civil Rights Movement, and each of them wanted something else from Dr. King - and from this particular speech. It was fascinating to learn about the behind-the-scenes politics, and specifically about the author's last minute, split-second decision to copyright the speech. This was basically unheard of at the time, and it led to massive revenue for an exceptional cause.
The final chapter was very topical and covered issues like Occupy Wall Street and the election of our first black president. The ideas presented were extremely insightful, and the opinions were very well argued. I can't say I agree 100% with the author on everything he had to say, but he certainly wrote a thought-provoking book that presented an insider's view on an important event in American history.
p.s. Thanks to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and the publisher for my complementary review copy.
September 24, 2013
"But Freedom is not enough. You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: Now you are free to go where you want, and do as you desire, and choose the leaders you please. You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, "you are free to compete with all the others," and still justly believe that you have been completely fair.Thus it is not enough just to open the gates of opportunity. All our citizens must have the ability to walk through those gates.This is the next and the more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just freedom but opportunity. We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result."
Excerpts from President Lyndon Baines Johnson's Commencement Address at Howard University, June 4, 1965
Excerpts from President Lyndon Baines Johnson's Commencement Address at Howard University, June 4, 1965
March 25, 2022
Behind the Dream is 13 years old. The event covered in the book is 63+ years old. The early pages can be thick at times.
But….the book tells us about a march in a summer day in DC in 1963 that changed the way we understood race in the US. It was in a very hot August day in DC. We learn some of the action (and problems) of preparing for the event.
While several speakers (all males) gave strong speeches, it seemed the audience was be charged about the changes to be made in the US. The major speaker,. Martin Luther King, Jr. began with a speech that clearly was not engaging the the 200,000 who came to DC to challenge race relations.
Malian Jackson, a well known “black” signer (in those days) saw the 200,000 members in the audience were more than he was giving them. Standing behind him, she wells to him, “Tell them to about “The Dream” several times before he dropped written speech to use the words “If have a dream” followed by series of changes in life for Black people in the US.
The readers should know they must see the speech in video.
But….the book tells us about a march in a summer day in DC in 1963 that changed the way we understood race in the US. It was in a very hot August day in DC. We learn some of the action (and problems) of preparing for the event.
While several speakers (all males) gave strong speeches, it seemed the audience was be charged about the changes to be made in the US. The major speaker,. Martin Luther King, Jr. began with a speech that clearly was not engaging the the 200,000 who came to DC to challenge race relations.
Malian Jackson, a well known “black” signer (in those days) saw the 200,000 members in the audience were more than he was giving them. Standing behind him, she wells to him, “Tell them to about “The Dream” several times before he dropped written speech to use the words “If have a dream” followed by series of changes in life for Black people in the US.
The readers should know they must see the speech in video.
January 20, 2025
I was not born when The March of Washington occurred. Growing up I learned very little about the US Civil Rights movement, other than what I saw on television (which would have been extremely biased). I was in Washington DC in August 2013, just before the 50th anniversary. The Smithsonian had a special exhibit about The March where I learned a great deal. It was very interesting to hear it from someone who was so intimately involved, and one so close to Dr. King. It is not a long read, and you do not have to be a hard core historian to appreciate the significance of this historical event and it's context within the larger Civil Rights movement.
September 4, 2013
A view from behind the scenes of the most stirring moment of the last half of the 20th Century, this book is a jewel.
As I reached its last paragraph, I found myself wishing it was longer, not because the book was in any way insufficient, but because I wanted a longer engagement with its controlling intelligence—Martin Luther King's personal attorney and advisor, Clarence B. Jones.
By training and experience, he was of a mind more given to practical matters and to rigorous observation than those of the clerics with whom Dr. King was closely associated. Yet he seems as broad, humane, and hopeful as King's other disciples, but more canny and far-seeing, which, after all, is to be expected of the personal attorney of a great man.
Mr. Jones doubtless has within him many more books to write.
As I reached its last paragraph, I found myself wishing it was longer, not because the book was in any way insufficient, but because I wanted a longer engagement with its controlling intelligence—Martin Luther King's personal attorney and advisor, Clarence B. Jones.
By training and experience, he was of a mind more given to practical matters and to rigorous observation than those of the clerics with whom Dr. King was closely associated. Yet he seems as broad, humane, and hopeful as King's other disciples, but more canny and far-seeing, which, after all, is to be expected of the personal attorney of a great man.
Mr. Jones doubtless has within him many more books to write.
April 9, 2011
Jones -- Martin Luther King's lawyer -- has written a page turner about the run up to the great "I Have A Dream" speech and the March on Washington. If you're a fan of King or the speech, this book is a must-read. Jones manages to put you in the contingency of the moment, and that's rare in history writing. In other words, he reminds you that the organizers didn't know the March was going to be a success as they were organizing it -- or that King would make history with an incredible speech. They were more concerned with buses and hotel rooms and the police. The stuff that history is made of.
December 26, 2013
Okay --- so the beginning of the book was very interesting and informative. I learned a lot about how the March on Washington came together, and I learned about the politics associated with the March. For that, I am happy I read the book.
The end of the book; however, was quite a bit of gibberish that I didn't enjoy reading. It was a lot of political spin, and an ATTEMPT (that failed in my opinion) to equate Dr. King to Pres. Obama. There is no equating these two.
If the book stopped before the political spinning, I would have given the book a higher rating --- so if you read this book --- stop about 70% of the way through and you'll have quite enjoyed it.
The end of the book; however, was quite a bit of gibberish that I didn't enjoy reading. It was a lot of political spin, and an ATTEMPT (that failed in my opinion) to equate Dr. King to Pres. Obama. There is no equating these two.
If the book stopped before the political spinning, I would have given the book a higher rating --- so if you read this book --- stop about 70% of the way through and you'll have quite enjoyed it.
November 4, 2011
Best book I've read on the King years. An extraordinary insider's account of one of the seminal moments in American history. What you think you know about the Dream speech is wrong until you've read this book.
January 31, 2014
It was very interesting to get a behind the scenes look at what went into the making of MLK, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. It was a quick and fascinating read.
Read
May 9, 2021Reviewed before 2012:
"Clarence Jones was one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's lawyers, and a member of his intimate circle. He decided to write these memoirs in his old age for posterity. He was a lawyer minding his own business until he heard King preach one day about sacrificing for the good of others, and he was convicted to work for the benefit of the black community. He was w/King throughout the '60s.
Jones spends most of the book setting up some of the lead up to the March on Washington, the event where King gave his ""I Have a Dream"" speech. He talks about the various groups invested in the march, and the tensions b/w some of their goals. He mentions his impressions of discussions, and in particular the time when King was jailed in Birmingham, and wrote ""Letter from Birmingham Jail"". Jones was the one who smuggled in the paper that King wrote the letter on, and smuggle bits of it out in order to publish it. He also was one of the people illegally wiretapped by Hoover and the FBI, who stored the taps under the ""Negro question"" category.
He builds up some anticipation to the march, relating his experiences throughout the day, particularly King's speech, the last of the day. He mentions how King pauses, and in the pause, Mahalia Jackson said to him, ""tell them about the dream"". King had used the theme previously, but it didn't really gain much traction. It, obviously, did this time. It's all a very interesting look at a crazy time, by someone who was very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement.
He ends the book with a look at where we are now, is the dream fulfilled? After all, there is a black man as President. This was a very good chapter that made you think about race relations in America. He talks about how w/o a level playing field economically, the dream of freedom cannot be recognized. Originally, the Congress after the Civil War committed to giving all freed slaves 40 acres and a mule, but it never happened. Jones is a proponent of reparations today. I don't know how that would actually work though. However, I see the argument of the level playing field - when its not level, its hard to have equal opportunity. Its well known, poor children tend to become poor adults, no matter what skin color.
I think another aspect is missing however, and that's actually becoming color blind. Even if economic conditions improved among black community, an us vs them mentality can still exist. For blacks, it could be, ""payback"". For whites, it could be, ""make sure they don't pay us back"". People need to realize its stupid to think along such lines, and combined with a level playing field, you really would see a reduction in racism (altho racism itself has become very broad these days, can mean almost anything).
He talks about Obama's presidency, and the debate w/in black community of whether he should advance the "Black Agenda", or represent all Americans evenly. It's a tough question. How can we be color blind if he were to advance an agenda based on color? Yet, if the playing field is not level, how does it get there? Two things pulling each other in opposite directions.
By the way, the US could afford to raise all poor people to a higher standard of living, mostly by giving good education. Its not a matter of being able to afford it. There's a reason banks and auto companies get bailed out, and poor people don't. "
"Clarence Jones was one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's lawyers, and a member of his intimate circle. He decided to write these memoirs in his old age for posterity. He was a lawyer minding his own business until he heard King preach one day about sacrificing for the good of others, and he was convicted to work for the benefit of the black community. He was w/King throughout the '60s.
Jones spends most of the book setting up some of the lead up to the March on Washington, the event where King gave his ""I Have a Dream"" speech. He talks about the various groups invested in the march, and the tensions b/w some of their goals. He mentions his impressions of discussions, and in particular the time when King was jailed in Birmingham, and wrote ""Letter from Birmingham Jail"". Jones was the one who smuggled in the paper that King wrote the letter on, and smuggle bits of it out in order to publish it. He also was one of the people illegally wiretapped by Hoover and the FBI, who stored the taps under the ""Negro question"" category.
He builds up some anticipation to the march, relating his experiences throughout the day, particularly King's speech, the last of the day. He mentions how King pauses, and in the pause, Mahalia Jackson said to him, ""tell them about the dream"". King had used the theme previously, but it didn't really gain much traction. It, obviously, did this time. It's all a very interesting look at a crazy time, by someone who was very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement.
He ends the book with a look at where we are now, is the dream fulfilled? After all, there is a black man as President. This was a very good chapter that made you think about race relations in America. He talks about how w/o a level playing field economically, the dream of freedom cannot be recognized. Originally, the Congress after the Civil War committed to giving all freed slaves 40 acres and a mule, but it never happened. Jones is a proponent of reparations today. I don't know how that would actually work though. However, I see the argument of the level playing field - when its not level, its hard to have equal opportunity. Its well known, poor children tend to become poor adults, no matter what skin color.
I think another aspect is missing however, and that's actually becoming color blind. Even if economic conditions improved among black community, an us vs them mentality can still exist. For blacks, it could be, ""payback"". For whites, it could be, ""make sure they don't pay us back"". People need to realize its stupid to think along such lines, and combined with a level playing field, you really would see a reduction in racism (altho racism itself has become very broad these days, can mean almost anything).
He talks about Obama's presidency, and the debate w/in black community of whether he should advance the "Black Agenda", or represent all Americans evenly. It's a tough question. How can we be color blind if he were to advance an agenda based on color? Yet, if the playing field is not level, how does it get there? Two things pulling each other in opposite directions.
By the way, the US could afford to raise all poor people to a higher standard of living, mostly by giving good education. Its not a matter of being able to afford it. There's a reason banks and auto companies get bailed out, and poor people don't. "
January 30, 2018
Clarence Jones provides a firsthand account of what essentially is the most important speech in American history since Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. I chose this text to help me in terms of my ELA curriculum which includes the “I Have a Dream” speech. I sought answers to how the speech was drafted, and the origins of its rich, figurative language that made Dr. King’s 17 minute text such a poetic — as well as a political and spiritual — masterpiece to be remembered for generations. However, “Behind the Dream” does more than just provide the literary roots and stories behind all the allusions; it provides a fascinating glimpse into the workings of social justice activism, and the nuts and bolts of local and national organizing. The anticipation in the days leading up to August 28, 1963 is painted with palpable detail.
Particular passages that make this read worthwhile include his personal accounts of brainstorming the famous speech, the hurdles they faced in getting everything in order, and their interactions with other Civil Rights leaders, celebrities, and elected officials (John Lewis, A. Philip Randolph, Harry Belafonte, and President Kennedy, to name a few). To think about how such a massive march and demonstration was assembled prior to internet and cellphones just adds to the incredible accomplishment that it became. Following the speech I was struck by the legal challenges Jones and King faced with respect to protecting it as intellectual property.
Just as MLK’s speech is framed with a past-present-future template, so, too, does Jones’ text give us glimpses into past obstacles, present assessments, and future ambitions with respect to Civil Rights and race relations. An indispensable text, for anyone who seeks to uphold the often neglected narrative of our own country’s healing — Clarence Jones gives us anecdotes as well as analysis that might help us bridge the gap between the real and the ideal. A must read for those interested in social justice. Or for any ELA and American history educator at the secondary or college level.
Peace.
Particular passages that make this read worthwhile include his personal accounts of brainstorming the famous speech, the hurdles they faced in getting everything in order, and their interactions with other Civil Rights leaders, celebrities, and elected officials (John Lewis, A. Philip Randolph, Harry Belafonte, and President Kennedy, to name a few). To think about how such a massive march and demonstration was assembled prior to internet and cellphones just adds to the incredible accomplishment that it became. Following the speech I was struck by the legal challenges Jones and King faced with respect to protecting it as intellectual property.
Just as MLK’s speech is framed with a past-present-future template, so, too, does Jones’ text give us glimpses into past obstacles, present assessments, and future ambitions with respect to Civil Rights and race relations. An indispensable text, for anyone who seeks to uphold the often neglected narrative of our own country’s healing — Clarence Jones gives us anecdotes as well as analysis that might help us bridge the gap between the real and the ideal. A must read for those interested in social justice. Or for any ELA and American history educator at the secondary or college level.
Peace.
July 5, 2017
A great book to read for anyone who wants to learn more about The March and "I have a Dream" speech. Highly recommend to any adult or teenager.
I would have given the book five stars but I didn't agree with some of the things Clarence B. Jones wrote at the end.
One being his views on reparations for the descendants of American slaves. I think the freed slaves should have been given the reparations (forty acres of land and a mule) they were promised over a hundred years ago. But that promise went unpaid and now many people believe African Americans should be given something to make up for the enslavement of their ancestors. But I don't think giving them money would help them in the long run. It's like that parable about teaching a man to fish instead of just catching a fish for him. A fish can only feed a person for a day like how money can only support a person for so long until they run out of it. I think the best thing to give them is a college education so they can have the tools they need to earn their own money.
To be fair Mr. Jones was not very specific on what kind of reparations should be given.
I kind of wish this book was written this year because I would have liked to read Mr. Jones's insight about the 2016 election. I'll have to see if he wrote a more recent book that might mention it.
I would have given the book five stars but I didn't agree with some of the things Clarence B. Jones wrote at the end.
One being his views on reparations for the descendants of American slaves. I think the freed slaves should have been given the reparations (forty acres of land and a mule) they were promised over a hundred years ago. But that promise went unpaid and now many people believe African Americans should be given something to make up for the enslavement of their ancestors. But I don't think giving them money would help them in the long run. It's like that parable about teaching a man to fish instead of just catching a fish for him. A fish can only feed a person for a day like how money can only support a person for so long until they run out of it. I think the best thing to give them is a college education so they can have the tools they need to earn their own money.
To be fair Mr. Jones was not very specific on what kind of reparations should be given.
I kind of wish this book was written this year because I would have liked to read Mr. Jones's insight about the 2016 election. I'll have to see if he wrote a more recent book that might mention it.
July 31, 2017
Urgent history. A breathtaking read that dislodges the mythology of the 1963 March on Washington and grounds it instead in the messy, imperfect, and far more impressive reality of how it was actually planned and lived. A personal, detailed, candid, complicated account from the perspective of the man who drafted the speech that changed America.
July 9, 2020
Speech writer, friend and lawyer to MLK describes the events surrounding the August 28, 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech and the March on Washington. He also reflects on the legacy of King, the persistent issues facing Black Americans, and some observations about Obama’s presidency.
February 18, 2024
An awesome behind the scenes look at how one of the most famous orations came to be from a man who worked alongside MLK in crafting it. Great read and look at the power of words and working together for a common good.
July 26, 2019
Very interesting book about a pivotal point in history. Told me a lot I didn't yet know. Included a review of the progress America has and has not made toward MLJ's DREAM.
March 15, 2023
such an inspiring piece about the hard work and inspiration for the iconic March on Washington in 1963.
January 13, 2024
Fascinating read of the behind the scenes for the speech that moved equality forward. Recommend highly.
August 14, 2022
Clarence B. Jones tells his story of how he met Dr. King. He also tells how the march and the “I have a Dream” speech came to be. He gives the story of the events leading up to the speech and his direct hand in helping write it. I enjoyed the perspective he gave about being close to Dr. King and witnessing the good, the bad, and the in-between from his perspective during the height of the civil rights movement. I would recommend everyone read this book to get a better sense of how this iconic moment in history happened.
I felt like the end of the book should have been cut out or should have been written in a clearer manner. The discussion of President Obama in regards to the civil rights movement and black American history seems so far removed from the main topic of the book. It seems like this last part should be discussed in a future book.
I felt like the end of the book should have been cut out or should have been written in a clearer manner. The discussion of President Obama in regards to the civil rights movement and black American history seems so far removed from the main topic of the book. It seems like this last part should be discussed in a future book.
February 7, 2011
“There was a kill switch and an administration official’s thumb had been on it the entire time,” remembers Clarence Jones. The John F. Kennedy justice department run by Bobby Kennedy stood ready to take over the speaker system with a flip of that switch. Had that happened, the world would not have heard Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech that day. The situation could have quickly gotten out of hand with over a hundred thousand marchers on the mall.
Although Clarence B. Jones was African American and Stanley Levison was Jewish, they had significant interests in common. They were both New Yorkers and they were both in the most inner circle of advisors to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Jones was one of King’s attorneys as well as a speech writer (primarily drafts that King would later edit). Jones clarifies a point with which King’s estate has expressed concern regarding authorship and “ownership” of the speeches. “We (Jones and Levison) did so out of our love, respect, and devotion to Martin and his extraordinary leadership. It is important for posterity that the record is clear on Dr. King’s reliance on draft speechwriters.” Jones’s points are documented by transcripts of federal wiretaps.
Planning and organizing the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” had its roots in a similar event planned in 1941 by A. Philip Randolph, the president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Randolph was successful in pressuring FDR (with his plans for a march) to sign the first Presidential Executive Order since the Emancipation Proclamation protecting African American rights. The Kennedy administration did not yield to pressure, the march was on, so JFK jumped on the bandwagon; but his support was lukewarm.
Read the rest of my review here:
http://technorati.com/politics/articl...
July 29, 2016
An interesting look at the days leading up to Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have A Dream speech. The first three-quarters of the book focuses exclusively on the speech, while the final chapter is more an analysis of current racial politics in the United States of America, especially on the idea of the (fictitious) post-racial society that has come about through the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States of America.
This final chapter is somewhat inelegantly placed in contrast to the earlier ones. The initial chapters read more like a memoir while the final one a rhetorical essay. It almost seems as if the authors realised that the book would be too short if it just focused on King Jr.'s speech, so they put another chapter at the end. Strangely in the last chapter, the authors discuss how much more powerful the March on Washington would have been if they had the social networking resources available today, then lament the lack of activism today, ignoring the wide variety of websites which discuss eloquently the role of race in America, such as Racialicious, Colorlines, and Womanist Musings, to name a few. They also seem to suggest that wide-spread non-violent protest is no longer a priority - which as we have seen with the number of hoodie marches to protest the murder of Trayvon Martin, is simply not the case.
In the end, I wished that either there was more analysis in the initial chapters to flesh out the book and that the final chapter be split off and elaborated upon to a book of its own. But still, an important read for anyone who is interested in race in America.
This final chapter is somewhat inelegantly placed in contrast to the earlier ones. The initial chapters read more like a memoir while the final one a rhetorical essay. It almost seems as if the authors realised that the book would be too short if it just focused on King Jr.'s speech, so they put another chapter at the end. Strangely in the last chapter, the authors discuss how much more powerful the March on Washington would have been if they had the social networking resources available today, then lament the lack of activism today, ignoring the wide variety of websites which discuss eloquently the role of race in America, such as Racialicious, Colorlines, and Womanist Musings, to name a few. They also seem to suggest that wide-spread non-violent protest is no longer a priority - which as we have seen with the number of hoodie marches to protest the murder of Trayvon Martin, is simply not the case.
In the end, I wished that either there was more analysis in the initial chapters to flesh out the book and that the final chapter be split off and elaborated upon to a book of its own. But still, an important read for anyone who is interested in race in America.
November 17, 2014
Reading this book I came to realize how little I knew about Martin Luther King and the March. I learn about the movement in my History of the World class, back in school, and then read a little bit more up to the level of general culture, but that was about it. Then, after I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett, I wanted to know more, and luckily for me, this book became available in the LTER giveaway and I got it!
Even though is a non-fiction book, the events are so beautifully told that I felt I was going deep in another world, and then the author just caught me:
“Oh, but you have to read the book”
When comparing how you had to be there to understand the extent of the event. Anyone using such a phrase will have my attention.
You can read the rest of my review at: http://greenmushroom1up.blogspot.ca/2...
Even though is a non-fiction book, the events are so beautifully told that I felt I was going deep in another world, and then the author just caught me:
“Oh, but you have to read the book”
When comparing how you had to be there to understand the extent of the event. Anyone using such a phrase will have my attention.
You can read the rest of my review at: http://greenmushroom1up.blogspot.ca/2...
May 28, 2013
A Dream Shared
Clarence B. Jones, attorney and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shares his memories and thoughts of that historic point in time: the March on Washington and King's `I Have a Dream' speech.
I believe many of us can articulate what transpired that day if not from memory, from history lessons and books. However, only a select few, those in King's inner circle, like Jones, can truly provide that rare glimpse into what transpired in the days leading up to, during and after the March on Washington.
In Behind the Dream we learn of the secluded haven procured for King to allow him to focus and prepare for the March, the collaborative efforts (of sorts) in creating the I Have a Dream speech, the influence of A. Philip Randolph, the last minute copyright efforts and much more.
The book's title couldn't be more apropos.
Clarence B. Jones, attorney and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shares his memories and thoughts of that historic point in time: the March on Washington and King's `I Have a Dream' speech.
I believe many of us can articulate what transpired that day if not from memory, from history lessons and books. However, only a select few, those in King's inner circle, like Jones, can truly provide that rare glimpse into what transpired in the days leading up to, during and after the March on Washington.
In Behind the Dream we learn of the secluded haven procured for King to allow him to focus and prepare for the March, the collaborative efforts (of sorts) in creating the I Have a Dream speech, the influence of A. Philip Randolph, the last minute copyright efforts and much more.
The book's title couldn't be more apropos.
March 10, 2012
Absolutely inspiring and fascinating book of a behind-the-scenes view of the March of Washington by a Martin Luther King confidante, attorney, and friend (as well as the speechwriter who contributed the first draft to MLK of the "I Have a Dream" speech). Sure, this book needed a better edit but for once, that wasn't enough to deter me from a rave review. There was much in here that I did not know and other things that I'd heard but thought may have been rumor. I had the privilege of hearing Clarence Jones speak recently and started this book the same night. He was inspiring and funny and very frank in person -- and in the book, his deeply-held passion was balanced by a nuanced political view that I found believable and interesting. Highly recommended.
January 11, 2017
Very interesting look at the behind the scenes of the iconic "Dream" speech. The author was a friend of Martin Luther King, Jr., and provided a fascinating perspective on this bigger than life Civil Rights leader. This book has definitely piqued my interest in the Civil Rights Movement, something I haven't really thought a lot about. One of the things that really intrigued me was learning that the whole section of MLK's speech where he talked about his dream for America - "I have a dream..." - was unplanned and completely extemporaneous. Amazing! Sometimes history is made on a momentary whim.
March 1, 2016
A great narrative of the Clarence Jones personal relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr. and the days leading up to the March on Washington. I most enjoyed the discussion at the end of the book where Jones focused on what changes have occurred since the speech was given and what objectives will need to be met before it is fully realized.
February 16, 2011
So well written and adds a new light on John and Bobby Kennedy and their cooperation with the March leaders. Teddy however had a religious experience at the March! I'm glad Clarence Jones wrote this book. I think it needed to be explained how the speech came to be.
March 4, 2011
I certainly have a different understanding and appreciation of this speech and the times in which it was written. It was interesting to me that Jones's experience and memory ran counter to Coretta Scott King's.
September 2, 2013
This book was written before the first book I read by Mr. Jones, "What Would Martin Say?" Another well written informative book that made me several times stop and look something up on the internet to actually read and understand some of the things I thought I'd learned in school. Very good book!
January 20, 2015
This book was a very interesting read. It was written by one of Dr. King's speechwriters who was also his lawyer. He explains the workups to the March and writing the speech along with others, and then what actually happened that day. A great insight into a great day in our history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews